New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-04-17
SOME NEW NOVELS.
.M,rs1Ne BUT NOT REMARKABLE.

pEvfI;s FORD. By BRET HARrE. iemo, pp. 200
HOughtOn Mihin 4 Co.
THE STARTLING EXPLOITS OF DR. B. 0UIEs
HoEf and MI ions LiIiIE. With 10 Illustrations
evo PIP 32S Harper Bros
t6s by Sy the Ps
Lytton. 16mO pp 3O2. Harper q BIOS
THE LOVELY WANG, A Bit OF China BY the Hon:
LEWIS wNGFELn 16mo, PIP. 2l4 Henry Holt
&Co.
l2mo. PIP. 3O5. Csssen Co.
"Sabina Zembra" Is well-written but by
no means striking story. It contains much
less description of nature than Mr..
Black has. accustomed his readers to.
and in leaning less heavily upon that form OF
padding he found himself apparently somewhat at
loss for substitute. In TRUTH character draw
ing Is not his forte Sabna the heroine OF this tale
though carefully and deliberately described, never
appears quite real person, and there Is even more
Enthusiastically about most of the other people In
the book. Sabina is a beautiful girl with q
detestable rich father. She Is much given
to practical benevoence of the modern
type. She goes through q course Of train
ing as hospital nurse. belongs to q
Charity Organization Society, does " stunning z"
regularly is careless about dress, and very frank
and straightforward in her address. Her leading
characteristic is kindness She always puts herself
second and her habit of self-sacrfce is 30 rooted
that having been the indirect cause of an accident
which temporarily cripples o young gentleman
jockey" she presently marries him out OF pure
compassion and rcmorse. From this out Sabina
rather jars upon us. The man of her choice Is
empbatically cad, and q very utter cad, too and
Sabina's STOPPING to such q fellow really lmpeaches
her delicacy. OF course her married life goes from
bad to worse. but as she has thrown over young
artist who adores her. to take up with the vulgar
brute of jockey, 1t is difficult to.feel much SYM
pathy for her In the end the Jockey
conveniently removes himself, and Sabina.
after many trials, fulfls her destiny by
marrying the artist But by the time the story
has carried her so far one is apt to feel that she is
hardly worthy Of so devoted and constant q lover,
and it IS difficult to perceive anything really heroic
in her character:
"a Millionaire of Rough-and-Ready is one
of those brilliant but unequal stories
which we have learned to expect from
Mr. Harte. 1t is full of the most faith
full and minute descriptions of life in the min
ing camps of California and of the mountain scenery
of the region. There is some graphic sketching OF
nomadc character, an abundance of dry humor.
and no lack of stirring incident But like so
many of Bret Harles later stories, it is
apparently unfinished. and at intervals the CON-
pleted portions contrast oddly with what looks like
rough scaffolding The same general criticism ap-
plies to Devils Ford,' and this story appears
to have been published in at least two states; one
version, which appeared as q syndicate" pub
Ication having been considerably fuller than that
which, issued in book FORM Both the tales are
well worth reading, but it is to be regretted that
Mr. Harte should mar such essentially good work
by moods of carelessness or Incidence.
All France and most of Europe has laughed over
the adventures of DR.. Quies, and now they are
offered to the American public in particularly
handsome edition. The book Is one of those ex-
travagancies which belong to the type of
Daudets "Tartarin de Iarascon." The hero is
fat aud phIegmatic bachelor doctor who through a
series of strange accidents is forced, much against
his will to undertake the most difficult and tedious
Journeys, the most hazardous adventures Loath-
ing locomotion 10 every shape. he IS compelled to
outrage his tenderest feelings continuously, and
the reader is kept in constant CONFUSION by the
perpetual contrast between the unfortunate doc
tors desires and habits and the deeds into which
cruel circumstances urge him. The illustrations
are those of the original French edition, and the
translation is fair one.
The Earl of Lytton deserves public thanks for
his spirited aud excellent translation Of Elders
article perhaps sets too high q value upon Elders
work, but be assuredly is not wrong in placing 1T
far higher than the kind Of German fiction which
Carlyle was 80 enthusiastic over, and which pos
sesses so little SAVIOR for any at present Bal
dine" is a story to make its mark anywhere and at
any time. 1t is q remarkable study Of human
nature under exceptional conditions. child
grows up in German forest with only deaf and
dumb woman and an often absent grandfather for
companions. The development of this child's
character under the peculiar circumstances Ii q
powerful piece of work. Subsequently she is found
to possess a great voice and becomes famous
singer Her heart has been crushed by the cruelty
of the world her beloved old relatives having been
ostracised by the brutal stupid villagers. and her
lover murdered by jealous rival She becomes
callous cynical, apathetic but she is gradually
cured, and by processes which are dealt with most
deicately and skifully. There are two other tales
in the book: "Notre Dame des FlOts" and 1.-The
Grosse ockner Mountain" and both are original,
fresh and charming Perhaps they are thought
too sombre, but the German literary taste runs to
sad subjects and in Elder at least 1t must be said
that there is none of the sloppy sentimentalty too
commonly associated with the idea OF Ieutonic O
ton.
Mr.. Wingfeld has attempted perhaps the most
difficult Of all undertakings, namely, the writing
of a genuine Chinese novel His preparation
seems to have consisted In q sojourn ct Foochow
and moro or less extended travels through the
Middle Kingdom. He has evidently acquired much
technical knowledge, aud is able to discourse OF
Chinese manners and customs with glbness TheiI
manners and customs, however. do not lend them
selves easily to the service OF romance, and IN de-
scribng the lovely Wang Chinese strong
Minded young woman who used to 60 hunting in
masculine fashion. there is some ground for sus
pec,ing that he has gone beyond the confines OF
the Empire for model. The lovely Wang, however
IL not bad sort of girl for any country and
certainly she is great deal too good for the selfish
aud profigste Chao, whom nevertheless, she
searches out with patient devotion worthy OF
Griselda herself. The prodigal son had reduced
himself to serfdom by betting too freely and ire
bride had 10 buy him before she could make any